Adventure Trio
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We've been called crazy. We've been called inspirational. We prefer the latter. In fact, we prefer anything but usual. Our travels are always different and off the beaten path. Preferring the dirt trails as well as roads less taken, we crave a good adventure. We truly love travelling together as a family. As the Adventure Trio, we are a strong unit that's constantly learning from and changing with each trip. We do this because we love it and we know our time together as a family is short. You only have so many years to raise your kids before you have to let them go. But we also do it in hopes of inspiring other family to turn off the TV's, put down the phones and flee the norm. Unfortunately for this trip, we had to incorporate a little too much of the norm. Like I always say, you have to keep the boss happy. You'll soon learn who holds the reigns in the family.
We'd been gearing up for our first trek of the year and Overland Expo 2011 for months. This annual gathering of overland travelers, as well as those looking to learn more about overland travel, was held the first weekend of April in Amado, Arizona. My husband, Terry, was VERY eager to get a look at all the modified vehicles that tackle the terrain. Jack, our 9 year old, was just looking forward to getting out of school a couple of days before spring break. No, seriously, he couldn't wait to harness up and ride behind dad. And myself? I was ready to stalk and get to know some of the world's foremost experts in moto travel. Well, that and being able to see how much stuff I can pack onto two BMW GS's. Remember, there is a kid involved here and you know how much kids like bringing 'stuff'. And for those of you who aren't in the know, we strap Jack's guitar on the back of Terry's bike. Not kidding.
Oil changed in the bikes? Check. Radios working? Roger that. Tents looking good? Sort of. I'm thankful that there's an REI in most major cities for those "just in case" moments. We were 2 weeks out and still hadn't tackled one major hurdle. Yes, we burned it at both ends in order to go on this trip. Yes, we had tagged all the bases as far as work coverage. But how to get the bikes TO Arizona was the one thing we had yet to figure out. All of us can plan and check off lists, but even that can't keep Jack's schooling and Terry's schedule from keeping us home just a little longer than we'd like. We didn't have the time to ride our bikes there as we only had a little over a week to travel and that was not going to give us enough time to cover the miles. Boo. Solution? Terry would drive a rental truck one way on Wednesday and meet up with a work colleague for a place to stay in Phoenix. Jack and I would hop a plane after school on Thursday and meet up at said locale. Then, all of us would suit up Friday morning for the 2-hour ride to Amado. Perfect. But as any rider knows, you're constantly buried in that pesky weather site on your phone. Huh, record temperatures in Arizona and a chance for freezing thunderstorms later in the week on our way home. Mother Nature must be bipolar.
After a Thursday night of catching up with friends and setting the bikes up, Friday was met with a bit of a head scratcher. How was I going to carry all of Jack's so called necessary items? The drumstick bag, Harry Potter novel and bazillions of Transformers were going to have to head home. Sorry, buddy, but the minimalist thing applies to all of us. With a final click of the bungee cord and a thank you to our gracious hosts, we set south once again as a trio. It's amazing how the roll of the throttle can instantly change your mood. Good times.
We rolled in to Overland Expo and were immediately greeted with dust, lots and lots of dust. No problem. We're used to anything at this point. The wind did give us a bit of trouble when it came to setting up the tents, but what are you going to do? We bunked next to a lovely girl and a British chap she'd met up with earlier in the week. She was setting around the states for a couple of months while he was jumping in with both feet and heading to South America. He had many reservations about going though Mexico. Don't worry, cahp. Trust in the goodness of others and you will be well.
Expo exceeded our expectations ten-fold! Meeting so many fabulous riders as well as being asked to help inspire other families to travel made it all worth the extra hours. It always does. And meeting Ted Simon? I think I almost curtsied. Camping in 100+ degree weather on the dirt brings its own set of challenges. You've got a little man to think of as far as shade and a full Camelbak. But he's a true traveler and has learned to adjust to any situation. With sun block slathered and a little store that sold cold beverages, the boy was set. Throw in some ice cream, too? Why not. It's all about keeping the boss happy. And what else makes Jack happy? Playing his guitar for a willing audience. Tonight's special guest was none other than Cupcake Carl. Why Cupcake you ask? Well, the only way to traverse the darkness back to our campsite was by motorcycle and Terry's got the bigger bike. Carl on back equals riding cupcake. Sorry, Carl, but it just fits. With a meal of spaghetti and entertainment by Jack, it was the Saturday night out we needed.
By the last day of Expo, the winds were expected to gust up to 50MPH. It was time to arrange for an early exit and start heading back to California. We had the whole week planned and needed to be in, ugh, Disneyland by Thursday. I know, I know, it doesn't sound very pleasant or adventurous but you have to remember, KEEP THE BOSS HAPPY! With our fill of blowing dust met, we rolled north in hopes of making it to Casa Grande, Arizona, for the night. We didn't want to push it regarding weather and the Holiday Inn Express guaranteed a pool for Jack, WiFi for Terry and a laundry facility for me. Check, check and check. And parking it for the day was by far the best decision we had made yet! Not 5 minutes after taking off our helmets, I went out to unload in one of the largest wind gusts I'd ever witnessed. This wave of curling dust came roaring from the west, bending all trees in half and shaking the bikes from side to side. I thought for sure mine was going to go over. And Terry and Jack weren't even there to witness it! I swear, boys, it was surreal. Oh, and for your information, a hotel bathroom does double as a kitchen, but not in a Kramer sort of way. You know what I mean.
We've been called crazy. We've been called inspirational. We prefer the latter. In fact, we prefer anything but usual. Our travels are always different and off the beaten path. Preferring the dirt trails as well as roads less taken, we crave a good adventure. We truly love travelling together as a family. As the Adventure Trio, we are a strong unit that's constantly learning from and changing with each trip. We do this because we love it and we know our time together as a family is short. You only have so many years to raise your kids before you have to let them go. But we also do it in hopes of inspiring other family to turn off the TV's, put down the phones and flee the norm. Unfortunately for this trip, we had to incorporate a little too much of the norm. Like I always say, you have to keep the boss happy. You'll soon learn who holds the reigns in the family.
We'd been gearing up for our first trek of the year and Overland Expo 2011 for months. This annual gathering of overland travelers, as well as those looking to learn more about overland travel, was held the first weekend of April in Amado, Arizona. My husband, Terry, was VERY eager to get a look at all the modified vehicles that tackle the terrain. Jack, our 9 year old, was just looking forward to getting out of school a couple of days before spring break. No, seriously, he couldn't wait to harness up and ride behind dad. And myself? I was ready to stalk and get to know some of the world's foremost experts in moto travel. Well, that and being able to see how much stuff I can pack onto two BMW GS's. Remember, there is a kid involved here and you know how much kids like bringing 'stuff'. And for those of you who aren't in the know, we strap Jack's guitar on the back of Terry's bike. Not kidding.
Oil changed in the bikes? Check. Radios working? Roger that. Tents looking good? Sort of. I'm thankful that there's an REI in most major cities for those "just in case" moments. We were 2 weeks out and still hadn't tackled one major hurdle. Yes, we burned it at both ends in order to go on this trip. Yes, we had tagged all the bases as far as work coverage. But how to get the bikes TO Arizona was the one thing we had yet to figure out. All of us can plan and check off lists, but even that can't keep Jack's schooling and Terry's schedule from keeping us home just a little longer than we'd like. We didn't have the time to ride our bikes there as we only had a little over a week to travel and that was not going to give us enough time to cover the miles. Boo. Solution? Terry would drive a rental truck one way on Wednesday and meet up with a work colleague for a place to stay in Phoenix. Jack and I would hop a plane after school on Thursday and meet up at said locale. Then, all of us would suit up Friday morning for the 2-hour ride to Amado. Perfect. But as any rider knows, you're constantly buried in that pesky weather site on your phone. Huh, record temperatures in Arizona and a chance for freezing thunderstorms later in the week on our way home. Mother Nature must be bipolar.
After a Thursday night of catching up with friends and setting the bikes up, Friday was met with a bit of a head scratcher. How was I going to carry all of Jack's so called necessary items? The drumstick bag, Harry Potter novel and bazillions of Transformers were going to have to head home. Sorry, buddy, but the minimalist thing applies to all of us. With a final click of the bungee cord and a thank you to our gracious hosts, we set south once again as a trio. It's amazing how the roll of the throttle can instantly change your mood. Good times.
We rolled in to Overland Expo and were immediately greeted with dust, lots and lots of dust. No problem. We're used to anything at this point. The wind did give us a bit of trouble when it came to setting up the tents, but what are you going to do? We bunked next to a lovely girl and a British chap she'd met up with earlier in the week. She was setting around the states for a couple of months while he was jumping in with both feet and heading to South America. He had many reservations about going though Mexico. Don't worry, cahp. Trust in the goodness of others and you will be well.
Expo exceeded our expectations ten-fold! Meeting so many fabulous riders as well as being asked to help inspire other families to travel made it all worth the extra hours. It always does. And meeting Ted Simon? I think I almost curtsied. Camping in 100+ degree weather on the dirt brings its own set of challenges. You've got a little man to think of as far as shade and a full Camelbak. But he's a true traveler and has learned to adjust to any situation. With sun block slathered and a little store that sold cold beverages, the boy was set. Throw in some ice cream, too? Why not. It's all about keeping the boss happy. And what else makes Jack happy? Playing his guitar for a willing audience. Tonight's special guest was none other than Cupcake Carl. Why Cupcake you ask? Well, the only way to traverse the darkness back to our campsite was by motorcycle and Terry's got the bigger bike. Carl on back equals riding cupcake. Sorry, Carl, but it just fits. With a meal of spaghetti and entertainment by Jack, it was the Saturday night out we needed.
By the last day of Expo, the winds were expected to gust up to 50MPH. It was time to arrange for an early exit and start heading back to California. We had the whole week planned and needed to be in, ugh, Disneyland by Thursday. I know, I know, it doesn't sound very pleasant or adventurous but you have to remember, KEEP THE BOSS HAPPY! With our fill of blowing dust met, we rolled north in hopes of making it to Casa Grande, Arizona, for the night. We didn't want to push it regarding weather and the Holiday Inn Express guaranteed a pool for Jack, WiFi for Terry and a laundry facility for me. Check, check and check. And parking it for the day was by far the best decision we had made yet! Not 5 minutes after taking off our helmets, I went out to unload in one of the largest wind gusts I'd ever witnessed. This wave of curling dust came roaring from the west, bending all trees in half and shaking the bikes from side to side. I thought for sure mine was going to go over. And Terry and Jack weren't even there to witness it! I swear, boys, it was surreal. Oh, and for your information, a hotel bathroom does double as a kitchen, but not in a Kramer sort of way. You know what I mean.
